Trust and verification
Rubric
The versioned list of checks verification runs, published in full.
The rubric is public and numbered. When a check is added, changed or removed, the version increments, and every badge records which version it was tested against.
That is what makes an old result readable. A pass under version 1.0 is not a pass under 1.2, and the badge says so rather than quietly implying otherwise.
Why it matters
A certification whose criteria are private is an opinion. One whose criteria are published and versioned is evidence.
The mistake everyone makes
Comparing badges across rubric versions as though they mean the same thing.
Related terms
Verification
The published set of tests a listing is put through, and the record of what they found.
Receipt
The signed record of one verification run: what was tested, against which rubric, when, and what was found.
Re-verification
Running the rubric again, because the version changed, the rubric changed or the badge expired.
See Rubric on a real listing
Every term here shows up in the catalogue next to a real result, with the findings published and the limits stated. Free to browse, no account needed.
Open the catalogue